Refrigerating apparatus



H. E. BLOOD ETAL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flayard [I Blood,

05c No bar- 9'.

ATT Y H. E. BLOOD ET AL 2,223,947

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 2 1959 l/l z Dec. 3, 1940. I

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V IN VENTORS flah/ardfl Blood y 0W. Norbery.

I Patented Dec. "3, 194i) A UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Howard E. Blood, Detroit, and Oscar E. Nor-berg,

Ferndale, Mich, assignors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a-corporation of Illinois Application March 2, 1939, Serial No. 259,414

4 Claims. ((162-103) This invention relates to the art of refrigeratrated a part of a heat insulated cabinet l protion and has particular reference to a new and viding a provision compartment H, the opening improved form and arrangement of parts, such to which is normally closed by a door H. The as, shelves, receptacles and bottles within a proprovision compartment may, as illustrated, be of visioncompartment and relative to a heat abrectangular form and has arrangedtherein an sorbing element therein. evaporator l6 of a refrigerating system, said More specifically the invention contemplates a evaporator being suspended from the top wall of new and more useful form of shelf, drip collector the provision compartment and spaced from the and storage receptacle and the arrangement side walls thereof. Immediately below the evapthereof relative to the evaporator and within a orator there is arranged ashelf I8 of approxi- 10 provision compartment of the type provided mately the same shape as the horizontal cross within domestic refrigerators. section of the provision compartment. Said shelf A principal object of this invention is to promay be fixedly supported by the cabinet or from vide a new and improved interior arrangement the evaporator thereof, but in the illustrated em-' for the provision compartment of a household bodiment of the invention, it preferably is ar- 15 refrigerator. 1 ranged so as to be slidably. supported by a set of Another object of the invention is to provide a pins or shelf supports suitably carried by the new and improved method of and apparatus for side walls of the provision compartment. The

collecting and storing the'drip from an evaporashelf l8 consists of, an upper frame 24, which de- 20 tor and within the provision compartment of a fines the outline of the shelf, and lower frame 26, 2 refrigerator. suitably secured to the upper frame by a series Another object of the invention is to provide a of post e w r frame at the Sides and new and improved form of cold storage compartback, has generally the same configuration as the ment within a. larger refrigerated compartment upper frame 24. In the front, the lower frame 25 25 and immediately below the evaporator therein. extends inwardly from each side thereof toward 25 Another object of the invention i to provide the center, but before reaching the center, turns new and improved forms of receptacles for more and extends toward-the back so as to provide a efflciently utilizing the space within the provision guide or track which consists of spaced substancompartment of a refrigerator. tially parallel portions or rails 30, the rear ends Another object of the invention is to provide of which may be te ed O that Phrtion 0f the 30.

a new and improved means for effecting the lower frame 26 which extends across the back of loosening of ice cubes from the grid and the tray. the shelf. Each of the rails or portions 30 may be Other objects and advantages of the invention I formed t 32 SO as o pr v a Stop? e area will be apparent from a consideration of the follying between each of the rails 30 and the adlowing specification taken in conjunction with the jacent side of the lower frame 26 is covered by a 35 accompanying drawings of which there ar two series of relatively small spaced bars 34 which (2) sheets and wherein: define shelf surface, but which oifers substantially Fig, 1 i a, front levational view f a, provino restriction to the circulation of air within the sion compartment of a refrigerator embodying pr visi mp n i The upper frame 40 this invention; it will be observed, provides a guard rail for the 40 Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken generally in surface of the shelf l8. It will further be obthe plane along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; served that the shelf It! includes two spaced sup- Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the por ing surfaces one of which is arranged upon plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, certain of the each side of the evaporator I6, the space beparts being broken away to clarify the details; I tween the rails 30 being approximately the same 45 Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along as the width of the evaporator IS. The side porthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3; tions of the upper frame 24 are adapted to slide Fig. 5 is a detail of the stop for limiting the upon the shelf supports 20. The shelf I8 is an forward movement of the shelf; integral rigid unit and is adapted to slide as such Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the means by which upon the supports 20 from the position in which 50 loosening of ice cubes from the grid and tray may it is illustrated in Fig. 3 forwardly to a p i i n be effected; and where the shelf stops 36 ,will engage the rear pair Fig. l is a )view taken along the line l--| of of the upper set of shelf supports 20. The stop Fig. 6. 36 consists of an arm pivoted to one of the bars Referring now to Figsl and 2, there is illus- 34 and the path of which, upon movement of the 5 the shelf 18 may be withdrawn completely from the provision compartment by pulling such shelf forwardly.

The rails 38 provide a slidable support or guide for a pan 3? beneath the evaporator it, the upper 'end of an ice tray 54, said tray edges of said pan being flanged outwardly so as to overlie the rails 30 and thereby support the pan 3'! therefrom. The width of the pan, it will be observed, is' just slightly less than the space between the rails 38, while the length of the pan 3'! is such as to extend fromthe stop 32 to ap-= proximately the forward end of the shelf E8. The coverof the pan 3'? is provided by a shallow tray 39, said cover or tray being of a width sufficient to cover the pan 3?, but being greater in length than the pan 3'! so as to extend between and be sppported by the front and rear portions of the upper frame member 2 1 and in slightly spaced relation to the upper edges of the pan 3'? so as to permit a, more or less restricted air circulation between the space in the pan 3? and the space externally thereof. The tray or cover 39 is of sufficient extent to underlie the'evaporator it so as to receiveand collect .the drip therefrom, said. tray being provided with an aperture 60 by means of which the liquid drip from the evaporator may escape into the receptacle 132, the mouth of which is immediately below the aperture fit, said receptacle being illustrated as being supported by a lower shelf d d, immediately adjacent therear. A

wall 446 of the cabinet and within the space between the rear edge of the pan 3'? and the back wall of the provision compartment. The receptacle d2 may be of a capacity sufiicient to store the liquid drip from one or more defrostings of the evaporator it. The receptacle d2 may be removed periodically, say, once a week, by shifting the same laterally upon its supporting surface and then removing the same through the open door of the provision compartment. It 'will be observed that the receptacle d2, which may be of glass, occupies a relatively inaccessible portion of the provision compartment and hence one which is less generally useful for the storage of foods. The upper surface-of the tray or cover may be provided with a channel tit, and a part of the upper surface of said cover 333 may be sloped so as to direct liquid received thereby toward the aperture 30.

"The pan 3? is slidably supported by the side rails 30 so as to permit forward movement thereof independently of the shelf it and of the cover 39, while forward movement of the shelf is will also carry along with it the cover 35 as well as the pan 3?. Due to its location immediately be low the evaporator, the space within the pan 3? is particularly useful for the storage of meats, although its use is not limited thereto.

The space between the upper and lower frame members 24 and 2t and at one side of the shelf I8 may be formed to providev a slot 5!] the vertical dimension of which is just slightly greater than the thickness of a flange 52 provided on one being normally arranged within the evaporator; for freezing liquid' contained in such tray and being provided with a grid 55 which serves to divide the liquid into suitable cubes, liquid in the tray 56 and Afterthe freezing of the withintheevaporator it; the tray moved from he evaporator and .r ed so that the rear edge 52 is located within the slot 56, and, thence, by holding the front end of the tray and applying an upward force on one side thereof, at the front, anda downward force on the other side thereof, at the front, the tray 54 may be distorted mflexed so as to efiect a separation of the ice cubes and .the grid from the tray. Preferably, the surface of the tray, which may be of idea. The right is metal such as anodized aluminum, may be waxed so as 'to expedite the separation of the ice cubes therefrom.- After twisting the tray, the same may be removed from engagement with the slot 56 and the grid 5-3, with the cubes therein, may be removed from the tray. If the grid 5% is constructed of flexible material, such as stainless steel, rubber or some other flexible material, the ready separation of the ice cubes therefrom will be effected.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood thatthe description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not definitiveof the limits of the inventive reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the. purview of the attached claims.

We claim:

1. In a refrigerator, a shelf including a frame havin spaced upper and lower frame members, the lower of said frame members being formed to provide a guide, a pan the sides of which are formed for cooperation with saidguide so as to slidingly support said .pan, and a combination dripcollecting pan and cover for said first pan, said cover being supported by said upper frame member so as to permit movement of said pan independently of said cover, said cover being longer than said pan and overlapping the rear end thereof and a generally fiat bottleadapted to occupy the space between the rear of said pan and the rear wall of said refrigerator for receiving the drippings from said cover.

2. In a device of the class described, a shelf including a frame having spaced upper and lower frame members, the lower of said frame mem bers being formed to provide a guide, a pan the sides of which are formed for cooperation with said guide so as to slidingly support said pan, a cover for said pan, said cover being supported by said upper frame member so as to permit movement of said pan independently of said cover, cooling means arranged above said cover, and a liquid receptacle arranged below said shelf, said cover comprising a part of means for directing drippings from said cooling means into said re-- ceptacle.

3. In combination with a heat insulated compartment, an evaporator, a shallow drip collecting tray removably supported below said evaporator, a readily removable receptacle arranged at the rear of said heat insulated compartment for receiving drip from said-tray, and a food receiving pan open at the top, means supporting said tray and nan in predetermined vertically spaced relation, said pan being positioned in line with and in front of said receptacle, said tray forming cover means for said pan and extending rearwardly therebeyond to a point over said receptacle to provide for directing said drip into .said receptacle.

flanges, said shelf being formed with guide means supporting said flanges, said hydrator being below and having substantially the same width as said evaporator but being a predetermined amount shorter than said evaporator to provide a space behind said hydrator, a receptacle in said space, a cover for said hydrator, said cover being in the form of a shallow tray longer than said hydrator and extending over said receptacle 10 space, said cover serving to collect drippings from said evaporator and to direct the same into said receptacle, said shelf defining means comprising means for supporting said cover in predetermined spaced relationship with respect to said evaporator thereabove and with respect to said hydrator therebelow, the spacing from said hydrator having the purpose of providing the necessary circulation of air.

HOWARD E. BLOOD. OSCAR E. NORBERG. 

